Sea Launch sale to Russian airline company expected to be completed by end of the year

Energia announced last September it was selling Sea Launch to the S7 Group, a Russian company whose holdings include an airline.

Energia said in its annual report this week that it expects the deal to close this year, with launches resuming as soon as next year. [TASS]

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United Launch Alliance beat SpaceX for a launch contract for an Air Force mission. The Air Force announced Thursday it selected ULA for the June 2019 launch of the Space Test Program 3 mission. ULA will launch the mission on an Atlas 5 551 under a contract valued at $191.1 million. The award was the third EELV-class mission competed by the Air Force. SpaceX won the previous two competitions, both for GPS satellite launches. [SpaceNews]

Vector, a company developing a small launch vehicle, has raised $21 million. Three venture capital funds, led by Sequoia Capital, participated in the Series A round. Vector is working on the Vector-R small launch vehicle, which flew a low-altitude test flight in May from the Mojave Desert as part of an incremental test program. Vector says it will use the funds to accelerate that test program, which includes several additional launches. [SpaceNews]

Canada will announce the country’s newest astronauts on Saturday. The Canadian Space Agency said Thursday the two new astronauts will be unveiled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during Canada Day ceremonies Saturday that also mark the country’s 150th anniversary. The agency selected the two from more than 3,330 applicants. [CSA]

KFC’s chicken sandwich is floating in the stratosphere after a balloon launch Thursday. World View deployed the high-altitude balloon from Page, Arizona, Thursday morning on the company’s first long-duration test flight of its “stratollite” platform. While World View is using the flight to test its technology for future commercial stratollite applications, KFC is using the flight to promote its “Zinger” chicken sandwich, which is flying on the balloon. [Space.com]